


Steel Homes

by Killbog



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Angst, Hurt, M/M, Rivalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2016-10-09
Packaged: 2018-08-13 12:43:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7977181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killbog/pseuds/Killbog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With a few words the enemy Spy unravels all the Engineer has become.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [J](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=J).



> "What is more Immoral than war?"  
> -Marquis De Sade

     The man found sleep easily that evening. The melody of the dustbowl winds sweeter than any riff he was capable of. He spent many nights like this as a child, lying on his small twin bed in nothing but a pair of boxers. The rusty old white fan running quietly on his bedside table, doing little to stay the sticky blanket of the Texas night. He knew the wide open window would let in the early morning sun to wake him. Exhaustion always overcame him just as he felt the symphony of sounds was reaching it’s sweetest crescendo.  
     He slept long and hard, as always. In the morning he worked hard to put a smile on for his Ma’. Fact was, he wasn’t too sure about returning to the mercenary lifestyle after his brief respite. A complicating jam in the cog was the Blu Spy. Their feud was like no other between the teams. This Blu spy had a mouth set in a permanent scowl, knife always at the ready. His skill surpassed his red counterpart, but his manners sorely lacked. Engineer fancied himself self-aware enough to recognize his own jealousy in the face of such skill. But with each backstab and sapping he felt himself being stretched more and more thinly. Until he finally snapped.  
     

      It had been just the day before Engineer had left to attend his friends wedding back home. Engie, tinkering with a dispenser he had just erected was interrupted by the slightest sound of movement. The Blu Spy had forced him on edge constantly. His job, which had begun as a fun change of pace, became an exercise in daily paranoia. The Spy had sapped three sentries just today and Engie’s frustration was reaching a breaking point.  
      “Goddamnit I hear you bastard.” Engie announced, shotgun raised. He hadn’t felt the stinging of the Frenchman’s blade in his back today, and he wasn’t about to break that streak. Trying to clear his head, he fired blindly into the empty air. It was a foolish rookie move, but lady luck was on his side. A spray of crimson blood solidified the Spy, who crumpled to his knees a meter from the Texan’s feet. They had never found themselves in this sort of predicament. It was always smoke and mirrors between them. This was the Engineers first long hard look at his enemy. It was as if he was in a completely different class from his Red counterpart. He wasn’t some lanky intellectual reliant on his cloaking. This was a real Spy, one with experience. He was years older than Engineer had thought, his stubble glinting with salt and pepper. And his eyes were the kind of blue that made you stare. Engie used his steel-toed boots to kick the man back onto his ass, pretty eyes be damned. He was just a privileged foreigner who needed to be taught a lesson. “Red handed huh?” he chuckled, re-loading his shot gun. “It’s so rare I get the immense opportunity to dispatch you myself.”  
       The Spy said nothing, his face not betraying the agony he felt. He growled and spat at the smaller man. Where the Engineer came from manners like that were not tolerated, in fact they were met with a pair of smarting knuckles and a backside to match. They remained like that for a time, staring at one another. Engineer was roused from the fog with the administrators booming voice announcing Blu’s sudden victory. Engie lowered his useless weapon as the Spy gracefully rose, straightening his tie. Producing his revolver, he span the cylinder checking the bullets fit snugly in their steel homes.  
       “Pride goeth.” Engineer hissed with malice.  
       Spy appraised him, his mouth down set in superiority, his eyebrows drawn. Once again they stared each other down for a time. Finally he spoke. “It’s just business.” He sheathed his gun and turned in the opposite direction.  
       Engineer watched the man go, his mouth open in confusion. How many times had he taken pleasure in cleaving the Spy’s head with his wrench after a victory? He only now realized he had never been hunted by the Blu Spy in the post-battle carnage.

       Now as Engineer lay in his bed he was still contemplating those words. So unsure of how to react. He wanted to get angry, to throw a chair against the wall or slam his fist into someone who would return the favor. When had his job become his own sick way of getting off? When had he let himself forget it was just a job, a way to make sure he could keep food on the table? Now he was haunted by the realization that he had taken it too far. There was no glory in all the blood. He had another year on his contract and he wasn’t yet sure how he could continue.


	2. Chapter 2

     Engineer opened his suitcase angrily. He had returned to the barracks late that night and was frustrated with how his sleep schedule would be affected. It was easier to believe that, than the truth. He didn’t want to be here anymore. His vacation had been spoiled by the seed planted by the enemy Spy. But he wasn’t a fool, the job paid well and he was under contract. One more year of fighting, he could, no, had to manage. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out his clothes and laid them neatly in his dresser. He desperately wished he had someone to talk to who would listen. He didn’t want to bother his parents with his troubles and his friends back home couldn’t understand. There was one person, however, he felt could relate.  
     Once the Engineer set his mind to something there was little he could do except act it out. That’s how he found himself creeping around the enemy base in his white undershirt and a pair of brown work pants. The bases were very similar in their layout, making his mission difficult, but not completely hopeless. There was little activity this late at night. Engie peeked into one window to see the blu Scout sleeping on his belly, one arm hanging off the edge of his bed. The next room he peered into had the blinds drawn tightly and was well lit from within. He moved on around the corner of the building and stopped mid-step. Blu Demoman was sitting on a lawn chair in front of him, his eyes, well, eye closed and hands tucked behind his head. Engineer backed up slowly right as Demoman opened his eye.  
     “Wha’ thought you went to bed laddie.” He slurred with a laugh.  
Engineer quickly put on a fake smile. “Thought I would take a walk.”  
     “Hnnng.” Demoman snorted and reached down blindly to grab at a brown bottle to his left.  
     “Seen Spy anywhere?” Engineer tried his luck. If he had been caught by anyone other than the drunk Scotsman he would have been shot on sight and reported, not to respawn until the next battle. Being stuck in Limbo wasn’t a particularly appealing idea, a specially for that long. And who knows what consequences he would face if Mann found out.  
     “Ehh wha?” Demo gave him an odd look. “In is’ room probably.” He pointed a finger up to the second floor above his head.  
Engineer looked up just as the Spy himself opened his blinds, no doubt having heard their voices below. His masked face betrayed nothing as he looked down at the two, he simply closed the blinds again and the light in his room turned off. Engineer knew it was hopeless, it was one thing to lurk around the enemy base, but infiltrating it in the off hours? Impossible.   
He said goodnight to the Demoman and began the trek back to his base. Looking up at the stars he sighed. A more foolproof plan was in order. The Red base was quiet when he returned. Pyro was in the kitchen and they exchanged greetings. He finally returned to his room and settled at his desk.  
     “Why were you asking for me?” Spy’s voice came from the corner of his room.  
     “Jesus!” Engineer clutched at his chest and turned to face the Frenchman. “You bastard nearly startled me to death.” He growled.  
     Spy’s harsh expression did not change. “You came looking for me, why?”  
     Engineer exhaled, running a hand through his buzzed hair. “I reckon’ you already know it’s about our last meeting.” Engineer felt his heart rate calm.  
     “It troubles you.” Spy spoke evenly.  
     “It changed me.” Engineer said, meeting Spy’s eyes. “I don’t know how I fought like this for so long, how I came to enjoy it.”  
     “A competitive spirit, loyalty to a lifestyle, a fascination with violence, a troubled soul. All of us ave’ our reasons.”  
     “What is yours?” Engineer couldn’t help the question rise to his lips.  
     Spy’s expression darkened and he remained silent.  
     “It’s fine, you don’t have to tell me.” Engineer raised a hand.  
The two studied each other in silence.  
     “You’ll find your purpose.” Spy assured him.  
     “I’d like to believe you partner.”  
     “Maybe you can start with trying to beat me for once.” Spy smirked.  
Engineer chuckled and the Spy couldn’t help his smile.  
     “It’s getting late.” The Spy began to tinker with his cloaking device.  
     Engie was upset to see the Spy preparing to leave after such a short conversation. It was almost like he didn’t want the enemy Spy to go. Which broke one of the most important rules their job had. He rose to let the Spy out. When he reached the door of his room he hesitated and turned. The Spy behind him, looked down at the shorter man, an eyebrow raised. “Would you like to do this again?”  
     Spy looked taken aback. “We shall see.”  
     Engie wasn’t entirely satisfied with the Spy’s cryptic answer, but he felt some amount of delicacy was required with this man. “Well you have a pleasant night.”  
     Spy nodded before cloaking and exiting the room.


End file.
